Respite

STORM

The aroma of a freshly cooked dinner filled the air as Storm joined Lucy and Justin at the dining table. 

She tried to push aside her troubling thoughts and immerse herself in the lively conversation and laughter going between the duo. She wasn't exactly successful.

They were talking about some vacation. And she wondered why. They had just arrived for college. A vacation now wasn't necessary. But she still listened, dipping her fork into the spaghetti filled plate.

For a while, the conversation worked—pushing down her concerns. The company of her friends provided a temporary respite from the weight of her own worries.

Lucy, always the social butterfly, animatedly recounted a funny incident from a few hours ago while she and Storm had walked by one area of the school grounds, causing Justin to burst into laughter.

The sound was like music to her ears, another temporary respite from the darkness that had consumed her thoughts.